Wagon? What wagon?

Yesterday I took the bean to Handknit to see what was left of this fine shop before it closes down. It's still got lovely yarn and lovely pattern books & magazines. Just not very many.

I bought this:

oh, and some yarn. Yes, I know I know I was supposed to be on a yarn diet... well rules is made to be broken, and it's not every week that your localest yarn shop closes down!

the stash was enhanced by a moderate 7 balls of miscellaneous 4 ply mostly destined to become baby sweaters and tanks. I think almost half of the people we know are expecting babies this year, and the other half had babies last year, so there is great capacity for baby knitting.

I'm making progress with Kirsty's tunic top. As predicted there are stripes...

and the main colour is blue. It's very pale blue, and I've knitted some petals to go on the front to make it girly. Both lots of yarn came from charity shops and are 4 ply of unknown (synthetic) origin. The multi-coloured yarn was 25p and has thus far yielded at least one baby hat and stripes for another tunic top. It cant go on much longer!

As usual I've dispensed with as much sewing as possible with this project. The shoulder seams were done with a 3 needle cast off, and I have just picked up the stiches for the arms and am knitting down to the cuff. I've just got to finish the second sleeve (almost at the cuff now) and then can steam, seam and finish.

FO: Hipknits Socks

Yesterday I finished my second pair of socks. Knitted with yarn from Hipknits I adapted the Opal pattern I used for the Christmas socks with lots of k2 p2 rib. They fit better than the Christmas socks and they look soooo much nicer.

I like them a lot. I can see sock knitting becoming a theme this year. On Friday I took the socks to work and knitted through my lunch break (whilst reading The Ecologist. If you're going to multi-task it might as well be worthwhile). For the first time I appreciated the smallness of sock dpns and the fact that I could slip them into my bag without having to make room or risk skewering myself on stray needle tips.

Today I finished the Bob tank I have been knitting for the bean. I finished it a couple of weeks ago, but hadn't got round to sewing up and finishing off. I'm not wild about it - the neck gapes slightly and it looks as though I forgot to use the correct needles for the neck and arm bands. I dont think I did, but you know what it's like when you've got a sock thing going on - other knitting is just a distraction while you think about socks, socks, socks.... Hmmmm, do I seem obsessed to you?

As soon as I finished with the tank top I cast on for a new baby sweater. It's for little Kirsty who arrived in the world on Burn's Night - welcome to you! (And congratulations to mum and dad, Fiona & Jason). I'm making a new variation on my tried and tested baby tunic which I have knit several (million) times and always seems to go down well. I did make one for the bean, but the yarn I used for neck, cuffs and stripes felted in the wash and - in the end - made it impossible to get said garment over the bean's head. I frogged the usable yarn and will reincarnate this into something else in due course. Kirsty's will probably feature some stripes too (I love stripey things). Watch this space.

FO: Christmas socks (again)

Here are the christmas socks in all their glory.


They are a bit slouchy, but I guess that's one of the wonderful things about sock knitting - you can custom fit. I'm already planning some modifications with the next pair. However, given the rules for knitting in 2008, this could be some way off. After finishing the peg bag the other day, I did allow myself to cast on a small project for the bean (Bob tank top from Rowan babies). I'm knitting it plain as I have some cream coloured cotton yarn in my stash, and 2008 knitting rules mean No New Yarn.

I'm not one of those knitters that can only have one thing on the go - I need some choice! So, I'm trying to limit myself, and the Bob tank plus amendments to my husband's Celt (Rowan magazine no.??) are the current contenders. I'm just making the arms of the Celt a bit longer - he said it was perfect and then asked for longer sleeves. I've done one already, but the charcoal yarn is hard to work with in the evenings, so I need afternoon light to get the other sleeve started. I have got two other WIPs: both cardigans for me, and despite being 90% finished with one of these projects I have decided to frog it and start again with a different pattern. This will be the second time I have frogged this particular yarn... perhaps that's something I need to think about.

Talking of the yarn diet. I did sooooooooooooooo well the other day - I am both proud and sad that I managed to resist. Hanks and hanks of Noro, half price.... it did take me about 10 minutes to decide not to buy it. I am still torn. (sigh).

Snowy Monday

Today is Monday. The first day of term, and for many the first day back at work since Christmas (hey - I live in Scotland and they are serious about hogmanay here...). It was snowy - quite snowy by Edinburgh standards and enough to make the drive to work somewhat trying.

Perhaps this is an appropriate moment to show you 2008 first FO: the christmas socks.

It's fair to say that I would never ever have chosen this yarn for myself (ye-es), but as I was yearning for some sock knitting, it did the job. Clearly this is an 'in production' photo, but I havent yet managed to remember to photograph the real things and thought this might do in the meantime...

New Year: New Resolutions

A new year has begun and I have decided: 2008 will be the Year of Thrift.

I've suddenly realised that I'm tired of accumulating stuff and I want some time off from consumption and shopping. That means no new clothes, new shoes or new yarn (really). My stash is full - in fact it's overflowing, and it will do my head (and my marriage) good to use some of it! I like the feeling I get when things are in order; when I can put things away without having to cram them into their designated spaces; and when the house starts to look vaguely tidy.

I've also resolved to finish off current projects before starting new ones.

This is going well so far. Last night I finished knitting the peg bag that I 'gave' to my mother for christmas. Well I wrapped up two pegs and told her that a peg bag would follow. My excuse for this tardiness is that I was ill at a crucial point before christmas and lost a whole evening of knitting, and then my mother distracted me from the task by giving me some sock yarn and a sock pattern for Christmas. Obviously I had to cast on and get going with these - and then finish them off - before I could get back to the peg bag. I know, I know - but that was last year and this year It Will be Different. Here are some pics. I particularly like the way the fabric follows the curve of the hanger...



My final resolution of 2008 is to sort out my finances. They arent exactly in a state - I earn more than I spend, and I know roughly how much money is in my account at any one time. It's just that I've accumulated some of those policies and insurances that might or might not do the same thing, and I really should decide if I need them all....

while the cat's away

My husband is out. And I'm alone (not counting a sleeping baby bean) with lots of knitting, my stash and my knitting books. I've been having a lovely time.

on top of all that tonight we had our newly recovered sofa delivered. it's covered in a lovely pale green linen. probably not the best choice with a nearly walking and sticky of finger small boy in the house, but hey: why cant you be stylish and have children? people seem to manage it in the ikea catalogue.

sigh.

anyway, progress on the knitting front has been made. The second felix sweater went in the post to a small person who was one last week. The purl scarf for my brother's girlfriend is finished (just) and I also finished my husband's scrap hat. The lining worked out well in the end - after a bit of jiggery pokery. In fact it's so snug and warm that i'm tempted to 'borrow' it, if you know what i mean...

oops

Oh dear. For months and months I've been a good girl and have been dutifully using up my stash.

But last week I fell off the wagon and gave into yarn temptation. Twice.

The first time was in a charity shop that I pass by each week. I couldnt resist a few balls of some unknown (man-made) yarn in pale blue and pale green. Just right for knitting something small for a (small) boy I know who is nearly one. It was only 50p a ball, which is almost free. And I got some dpns for 50p a set, a Rowan pattern book, and a few other vintage paper patterns for my collection.

The second time was yesterday. I bought some sock yarn. Well if I want to knit some socks, I need some sock yarn.... and I havent got any in my stash. Well I have, but only enough to knit a heel, a toe or some socks for a small boy. I decided to take advantage of the hipknits december sale to order some of their yummy sock yarn. I havent knitted any socks for years - the last time was when I was doing my PhD and I shared a flat with a maniacal sock knitter (surface scientist). The pairs I made at that time were not a great success - one pair shrank and felted in the wash, and I did not pay enough attention to the other pair, so much so that one was several inches longer than the other one and I never managed to correct the mistake...

I've put a request in for a book about sock knitting for christmas. Hope I'm lucky.